Oakland University professor: Malaysian Air crash could ‘escalate tensions’

A piece of a plane with the sign "Malaysia Airlines" lies in the grass as a group of Ukrainian coal miners search the site of a crashed Malaysian passenger plane near the village of Rozsypne, Ukraine, eastern Ukraine Friday, July 18, 2014. Rescue workers, policemen and even off-duty coal miners were combing a sprawling area in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border where the Malaysian plane ended up in burning pieces Thursday, killing all 298 aboard. (AP Photo/Dmitry Lovetsky)

Oakland University professor Greg Allar was among the people who followed breaking news Thursday of the crash of a second Malaysian passenger plane in less than five months.

The plane traveling from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur crashed in eastern Ukraine near Donetsk, killing all 295 on board.

The Ukraine government announced the plane had been shot down by a Russian missile.

Allar, who teaches in the International Studies program with personal expertise in Russia, noted that while it is early to speculate what occurred, it would be “difficult to shoot down a plane flying 32,000 feet in the air with a surface-to-air shoulder weapon,” he said.

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“They’re not accurate at that distance. It would take something more sophisticated,” he said.

On March 8, a Malaysian airliner vanished with 239 people on board after it left Kuala Lampur headed for Beijing.

One report, said Allar, suggested a missile may have been targeting another plane nearby, and hit the Malaysian plane by mistake.

Thursday’s Malaysian plane was flying over a hotspot near the Ukraine-Russian border.

Tension and fighting has occurred there, said Allar, because Ukraine is home to pro-Russian rebels who “want more say in how their territory is governed.”

The rebels, or ethnic Russians, said Allar, see themselves tied to Russia, whereas many in Ukraine are leaning toward Europe.

The U.S. has recognized the Ukraine government in Kiev, he said.

“If it is proved the cause of this accident was due to technology that could be traced to Russia, this could escalate the tension even more between the U.S. and Russia,” said Allar.